shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 03 2015 03:56 AM
UPDATED with details:
Today, I received a new MIK Accutronics-Belton, a new MOD and I tested them as a comparison to the stock MIA Accutronics pan.
A comprehensive set of clips that go through a range of reverb settings for each pan has been uploaded to my SoundCloud page.
https://soundcloud.com/shake_n_stomp/reverb-demo
Info:
Reverb pan tests in a used '63 Reissue Fender Tube Reverb unit
AFAIK, all circuitry and tubes are stock.
The stock reverb pan is a USA Accutronics. New pans from Korean Accutronics-Belton as well as MOD are demoed here, too. All three reverb pans used are 4AB3C1C.
A loop of approx 22 seconds was recorded. Each time the loop is played-back, the Dwell/Mix/Tone controls were changed through a range of settings. (see settings scheme below)
For each pan, I start out by using the minimum settings so it is easier to note the start of each reverb pan demo.
Clips were recorded using the following
MIA Fender Strat with Fat 50s pickups(middle pickup only)> Line 6 M9 - Looper function only (no effects used) > Voodoo Labs Giggity pedal for tone shaping > Tech 21 'Blonde' Character pedal set to emulate a clean, vintage Fender amp> Steinberg UR22 interface> Adobe Audition recording software (recorded in glorious Mono)
No post effects such as EQ, reverb, or compression were used on the guitar loop clips. Clips quote The Chantays "Pipeline" and the Astronauts "Movin'" - chosen for how much they exemplify that good ol' surfy reverb drip and reverb decay.
Loop Set 1: Stock USA Accutronics pan
DWELL/MIXER/TONE
1 - - 1 - - 1
4 - - 6 - - 6
6 - - 6 - - 6
7.5 -- 6 -- 7.5
Loop Set 2: MIK Accutronics-Belton
DWELL/MIXER/TONE
1 - - 1 - - 1
4 - - 6 - - 6
6 - - 6 - - 6
7.5 -- 6 -- 7.5
Loop Set 3: MOD (additional loops done because the depth and decay of the reverb effect are significantly different than the two Accutronics pans.)
DWELL/MIXER/TONE
1 - - 1 - - 1
4 - - 6 - - 6
6 - - 6 - - 6
7.5 -- 6 -- 7.5
extra loops:
5 - - 6 - - 7.5
4 - - 6 - - 8
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
Last edited: Feb 03, 2015 21:43:58
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Feb 03 2015 04:10 AM
Great! Will listen to it asap. Thanks for recording.
— The Hicadoolas
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Gilette
Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
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Posted on Feb 03 2015 05:40 AM
To my ears that's a victory for the US Accutronics. Thanks for the test!
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 03 2015 09:45 PM
Updated original post with additional details so readers would not have to link to SoundCloud in order to find out about the demo content.
Plus, I think this needed a good ol' bump!
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4536
Wisconsin
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 05:44 AM
Very well done; thanks for taking the time to do that.
— Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel
DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.
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LaFleur
Joined: May 20, 2009
Posts: 525
Leipzig
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 10:55 AM
Thank you very much for the comparison! You can really hear the long tail of the MOD pan in this clip. I prefer the MIK Accutronics Belton tank in this comparison.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/bangmustang
http://www.facebook.com/bangmustang
https://soundcloud.com/bang-mustang
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 11:11 AM
LaFleur wrote:
Thank you very much for the comparison! You can really hear the long tail of the MOD pan in this clip. I prefer the MIK Accutronics Belton tank in this comparison.
This demo was done for my friend and me as we are just about to assemble our Surfy Bear reverb kits. I am glad to have done it but very happy if others find value in it, too.
Yes, the MOD exhibits the good (nice drip/splat) and the not-preferable (the decay is very long).
The MIK is what I installed in my Fender RI unit. Very happy with the results.
The MOD will be installed in my Surfy Bear assembly and will be used for more ambient/chill surf for 'broken chords' and sustained notes/chords. There is no way that the long decay would work for me when I play any rapid fire trem picking like on Eddie & the Showmen or Dick Dale-type tunes.
My USA Accutronics pan will remain in storage as backup.
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2683
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 11:49 AM
Thanks for doing that. I also like the MIK and will be getting one of those. To me it has the most drip and the shortest decay.
I recently found out the dramatic difference tubes can make when I replaced the old GE and Tungsol tubes in my tank with some Groove Tubes to find a noise problem. The tank lost a lot of life with the Groove Tubes, it became thin and weak sounding. I'll be keeping my best tubes in there. My noise turned out to be loose input and output jacks.
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2775
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 12:48 PM
10-4 on the tube swap Sir Tiger. I had my original 65 on the bench all morning trying to figure out why it seemd so lethargic. It sounded ok, it just didn't seem to have much splash and not much sustain.
I have a box full of tubes that have been in and out of gear as well as some that my dad had from years back: A/B search and destroy mission.
After going through four different pans (they all pretty much sounded the same) as well as a number of 6v6's and 12AT7's, I noted a small improvement in the ones I selected, but one of the 12AX7's I tried while rotating tubes in and out of the tank made it jump off the bench. It made a hell of a difference. I'm stumped, I wonder why?
The tank sounds awesome. best ever probably. I leave it on in the band room a lot, sometimes for days, and maybe time had taken it's toll. I just got lucky with a tube out of my "possible" box. That doesn't usually happen.
That tube had actually been in one of the guitar amps for a while, it must not have been anything out of the ordinary in the amp.....figure.
Happy Kamper Katcher,
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 04 2015 12:54 PM
My friend, myself, and couple of fellow reverb junkies in this thread have mentioned their preference for the MIK Accutronics.
And in a few other threads, occasionally I will read similar preferences.
That said, I have read some pretty damning reviews/comments about the MIK Accutronics but those comments do not reflect what I am hearing from this pan. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...
Anyhoo, I made the demo clip so players can check for themselves what they prefer.
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 03:02 AM
shake_n_stomp, thanks for the effort!
How would YOU describe, to your own taste, the difference between the USA and Korean made Accutroincs? I don't hear much over the clip.
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 08:53 AM
DreadInBabylon wrote:
shake_n_stomp, thanks for the effort!
How would YOU describe, to your own taste, the difference between the USA and Korean made Accutroincs? I don't hear much over the clip.
It is a shame that SoundCloud crushes the soundfile compared to the WAV file how I recorded it. Some of the sonic subtleties are harder to detect in a lossy format.
To my ear, the MIK Accu has a drip/splat which is more defined.
The decay characteristics - which I believe comes from having springs of different lengths being used so they 'flutter' at different rates - just seems more interesting and complex with the MIK; I am not sure if it because it is new and the springs in the older USA Accu are more elastic (????).
So, I prefer the character of the MIK's drip and decay. The length of the decay between the two are both very usable for my needs although the USA seems a wee bit shorter.
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 13:23:18
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D22
Joined: Apr 20, 2006
Posts: 2054
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 09:26 AM
People that dismiss the MIK pans probably have not done enough experimenting with the miniature tubes and the 6K6GT they have in the circuit. NOS tubes sometimes don't sound as good as newer production and vice versa. At the end of the day, it is a very good pan.
—
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 09:28:11
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LaFleur
Joined: May 20, 2009
Posts: 525
Leipzig
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 12:33 PM
The length of the springs doesn't have so much impact on the decay, it depends more on the damper discs on the end of the springs in the housing.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/bangmustang
http://www.facebook.com/bangmustang
https://soundcloud.com/bang-mustang
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 01:27 PM
DGG wrote:
People that dismiss the MIK pans probably have not done enough experimenting with the miniature tubes and the 6K6GT they have in the circuit. NOS tubes sometimes don't sound as good as newer production and vice versa. At the end of the day, it is a very good pan.
Well, considering how much players applaud your products and would think that your advice is worthy of consideration, perhaps the MIK Accutronics will not be so readily dismissed. I was completely prepared to be disappointed by the MIK but glad that I spent the rather small fee to be able to make up my own mind about it.
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
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D22
Joined: Apr 20, 2006
Posts: 2054
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 02:03 PM
Yes, a BIG factor is the choice of tubes.
—
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 14:04:01
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 04:47 PM
Following the other threads here, seems the MIK is quite favorable.
Thanks for the detaled answer, shake_n_stomp.
Very useful report, and Dario, the fact that you recommend them is a weighty factor. Are those the ones you use in your units?
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 16:53:05
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D22
Joined: Apr 20, 2006
Posts: 2054
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 05:51 PM
DIB, yes, I use the MIK as OEM on all reverberated products.
I use NOS JAN Philips 12AT7WC on the preamps and the RI TUNG-SOL 12AX7's on the reverb recovery in the G-Spring. I've only installed NOS RCA 6K6GT's in my reverb units.
Again, please consider the choice of tubes when making a decision. Swapping caps, pans, parts, etc. can be fun but also costly and time consuming. If you happen to stumble across old or used tubes on eBay, they may have a great sound AND won't cost you a fortune.
One thing, don't ever forget to have a STANDARD SET of tubes that give the sound you want in ANY amp. Should you ever be in a jam you have a set to use but more importantly it is a great metric when trying new tubes or comparing the currently installed/used complement.
—
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 17:59:43
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owen
Joined: Feb 05, 2015
Posts: 8
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Posted on Feb 05 2015 08:04 PM
I'm actually quite bummed I chose a mod tank. USA totally is the winner in this shootout. I loved my fender '63 reissue tank dearly. I may have to try to hunt down a usa tank after I finish my reverb unit build.
Last edited: Feb 05, 2015 20:06:46
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ludobag
Joined: Jun 05, 2010
Posts: 620
at south of
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Posted on Feb 06 2015 07:06 AM
seems similar with what i heard between the pan of my drri and the tad pan
the drri is more clear but less drip and the tad is more warm with more drip
in fact need to switch between pan for different song 
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